DISPENSER FOR ABSORBENT ARTICLES

• US 20110114660A1
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Essity AB)
• Original Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Essity AB)
• Inventors: Johansson, Charlotte
• Application Number:
  US12/743,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20110114660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/43
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 15/001 Packages or dispensers for bandages, cotton balls, drapes, dressings, gauze, gowns, sheets, sponges, swabsticks or towels A61F15/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A dispenser of absorbent articles in a stack or a roll. At least a portion of each absorbent article is covered by a cover wrapper. The dispenser includes a housing, the housing including, inter alia, a friction element which is arranged to make contact with the cover wrapper of a leading absorbent article and deliver it towards the outlet of the dispenser. The friction element has a friction material including that surface of the friction element which is arranged to make contact with the cover wrapper. The friction material has a static coefficient of friction against the surface of the cover wrapper which has a minimum value, so that effective and reproducible dispensing of the absorbent articles is achieved.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A dispenser comprising absorbent articles in a stack or a roll, in which at least a portion of each absorbent article is covered by a cover wrapper;

said dispenser comprising a housing including;

an outlet through which the absorbent articles are dispensed;

support means for supporting said stack or roll;

and friction means arranged to make contact with the cover wrapper of a leading absorbent article and deliver said leading absorbent article from said stack or roll towards the outlet;

said friction means having a friction material comprising that surface of the friction means which is arranged to make contact with the cover wrapper;

wherein the cover wrapper is a plastic film or a laminate of one or more films, and

the friction material has a static coefficient of friction against the surface of the cover wrapper as measured by the method described herein of at least 0.4.

10. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the dispenser is adapted to support absorbent articles being arranged in a stack.

11. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the friction means comprises a belt.

12. The dispenser according to claim 9, further comprising an electric motor, control unit and activator for said control unit, arranged such that activation of the activator by a user causes the electric motor to drive the friction means and dispense an absorbent article.

13. The dispenser according to claim 12, wherein there is a built-in time delay such that after a user has activated the activator and a first absorbent article has been dispensed, a certain minimum time expires before a second absorbent article can be dispensed.

14. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the activator is selected from the group consisting of a push-button, a lever, a wheel, an IR sensor, a camera, a coin-operated device and a magnetic sensor.

15. The dispenser according to claim 9, arranged such that after delivering said leading absorbent article from said stack or roll towards the outlet, the friction means reverses its direction of movement a short distance ranging between 5-15 mm.

16. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the absorbent article is a sanitary napkin or panty liner.

17. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the friction material has a static coefficient of friction against the surface of the cover wrapper of at least 0.6.

18. The dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the friction material has a static coefficient of friction against the surface of the cover wrapper of at least 1.0.

19. The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the minimum time expiring before a second absorbent article can be dispensed is at least 30 seconds.

20. The dispenser according to claim 19, wherein the minimum time expiring before a second absorbent article can be dispensed is at least 60 seconds.

21. The dispenser according to claim 20, wherein the minimum time expiring before a second absorbent article can be dispensed is at least 120 seconds.

22. The dispenser according to claim 21, wherein the minimum time expiring before a second absorbent article can be dispensed is at least 300 seconds.

23. The dispenser according to claim 22, wherein the minimum time expiring before a second absorbent article can be dispensed is at least 600 seconds.